Isolation, communication difficulties, reduced alertness — hearing impairment or loss is a real challenge in daily life. Over time, it can also become a risk factor for cognitive decline. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) analysed data from 33,000 older adults across Europe to examine the combined impact of hearing loss and loneliness on memory. They identified three distinct profiles based on the degree of social isolation and perceived loneliness. The findings show that hearing loss accelerates cognitive decline particularly among individuals who feel lonely, regardless of whether they are socially isolated. These results, published in Communication Psychology, support the case for early and preventive hearing care.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (July 16, 2025)—Premature menopause has been described as a life-changing diagnosis with profound physical, psychological, and social consequences. Affected women not only experience the effects of estrogen deficiency, but they also experience the unanticipated loss of reproductive function. However, some women are more adversely affected by these changes than others. A new study helps explore reasons for these differences. Results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST; President and CEO: Karin Markides, in Onna Village, Okinawa) and Qubitcore Inc. (CEO: Ryuta Watanuki, Headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture), a startup aiming to realize distributed quantum computing systems by combining ion trap technology with optical resonators, announced the signing of an exclusive licensing agreement, effective June 1, 2025.

A new study led by Dr. Vadim Axelrod, of the Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center at Bar-Ilan University, has revealed serious concerns about the quality of data collected on Amazon Mechanical Turk’s (MTurk) — a platform widely used for behavioral and psychological research.

A comprehensive new study from NYU Abu Dhabi’s Science Division analyzed scripts from nearly 7,000 episodes of children’s TV shows in the United States spanning 1960 to 2018. It uncovered enduring biased patterns in how male and female characters are portrayed through language.